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[EDWARD STEVENSON]

Biomass Magazine on Plasma Gasification: Proving Out Plasma Gasification.

Researchers believe that the economics are right for using plasma gasification technology to convert municipal solid waste into energy. It’s just a matter of getting that first commercial plant built in the United States for it to catch on.

By Bryan Sims


Although recycling and collection strategies have been optimized over time, the rapid accumulation of municipal solid waste (MSW) is stressing landfills and prompting many county and city governments to find new ways to cost-effectively dispose of MSW and offset volatile energy costs. One technology that has garnered attention as a solution to this problem is plasma arc gasification technology.

Plasmas—also known as the fourth state of matter—are gases that have been heated to thAe point of ionization and passed between two electrodes that create an electrical arc.

This arc breaks waste down primarily into elemental gas and solid waste (or slag) in a device called a plasma converter. Charged particles such as electrons conduct electricity and generate heat equivalent to the surface temperature of the sun. The heat rips apart compounds and converts inorganic solids (vitrified ash) into glass-like substances that can be marketed to the construction industry as aggregate for use in blocks, brick, gravel and paper. Meanwhile, the process transforms organic materials into syngas that can be converted into electricity and liquid fuels. The entire conversion process occurs in containment so no emissions are released.

“[Plasma gasification] is finally becoming very cost effective,” says Lou Circeo, director of plasma gasification research at Georgia Tech Research Institute. Circeo has been involved with plasma gasification technology for more than 30 years and is considered an expert in the field. He says that one of the key advantages of plasma gasification is the flexibility of feedstock types it can convert. “As a matter of fact, it’s almost like the ‘perfect storm’ right now,” he says. “We’ve finally reached a point where it’s actually going to be cheaper to take garbage to a plasma plant and make energy than it is to take the garbage and just dump it into a landfill.” Read More: http://www.biomassmagazine.com/article.jsp?article_id=2144&q=&page=1